I must admit, I was not expecting to love Boston, MA as much as I did. I came into this trip with knowledge of its rich history and an appreciation for the culture. What I was surprised by was the liveliness of the city, the warmth of the residents, and the complexity of culture throughout. Boston is truly an amazing place that I cannot wait to revisit.

When visiting Boston as a beer fan, your first and foremost destination is the original Samuel Adams brewery. This is where it all started for founder Jim Koch back in 1984. Today it is used primarily as their experimentation platform while Samuel Adams beers are brewed in larger facilities elsewhere. It was great seeing their humble beginnings and getting a chance to sample beers in their tasting room (the one you often see in their commercials). From there the party continued to Doyle's Cafe just down the street, a 130 year old pub that was the first place to ever serve Samuel Adams. It was by far the highlight of the day.

From there I proceed a few miles north to Cambridge, MA. It was there where I discovered the Cambridge Brewing Company, the area's oldest brewery-restaurant. The interior was very snazzy and appropriately stylized for the Cambridge area. If there was such a thing as a glamorous brewpub, this would be it. Slacks and ties definitely outweighed jeans and t-shirts. I commandeered a bar stool and proceeded to sample an array of tasty brews, which included a Belgian Dubbel brewed with Cinderella pumpkins and a 14% Summer Barleywine. Needless to say, this brewery didn't mess around. It's definitely a hidden gem of the Boston beer scene.

I concluded my trip at the Harpoon Brewery, known for their always reliable session brews like the Harpoon IPA and UFO White. I greatly enjoyed touring their amazing facility (thank you Angela) which gives a whole new meaning to space efficiency. They operate on multiple floors of a compact warehouse in the heart of Boston. Space is at a minimum and they utilize their nooks and crannies like a New York City apartment resident. It was very impressive. I was also fortunate to enjoy some of their tasty brews with Harpoon CEO Rich Doyle. He was very generous, loved nothing more than to talk beer with a fan, and was the perfect way to cap off the trip.

So for any craft beer fan contemplating a trip to Boston, let me go on record as highly recommending it. The beer culture here is amazing and residents take a lot of pride in their local suds. Every single restaurant and pub I visited served an array locally crafted beers. You simply cannot get away from good beer in Boston, and that's just the way I like it.

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